Metta
Sutta
( Discourse on Loving-kindness )

U
Nandiya

Once the Bhagava (
Lord Buddha) was staying at the Jetavana monastery in the
pleasance of Anathapindika at Savatthi. A group of monks
received permission from the Lord to meditate in a distant
forest during the period of Buddhist Lent. Each of the monks
took shelter under a big tree as a temporary residence and an
engaged themselves intensively in the practice of meditation.

On account of the
spiritual power of their meditation, the tree deities could
not stay in their trees-abodes above the monks, so they had
to come down to the ground. Realizing that the monks would
spend the whole rainy season there, the deities were much
annoyed. So they tried to scare the monks away during the
night by harassing them in various ways.

After living under
such impossible conditions for sometime, the monks could not
bear it any longer and rushed back to the Buddha and informed
him about their difficulties. So the Buddha advised them to
recite the text of loving kindness (Metta Sutta) and to
radiate the spirit of love to all beings. On the full-moon
day of Wagaung, the Buddha taught the monks the Metta Sutta.
From that day till now, the full-moon day of Wagaung has been
called as the 'Great or Grand Occasion of Metta.

Encouraged by this
discourse, the monks returned to their respective places.
They practised in accordance with the instructions given them
to permeate the entire atmosphere with radiant thoughts of
love, The tree-deities were much pleased to be affected by
the power of love, and so let the monks (meditators) stay
without any further disturbances.

Metta

Metta is the highest
need of the world today, indeed it is more needed than ever
before. Because in this new world, there are sufficient
materials, money and brilliant wise men and scientists. In
spite of these, there is no peace and happiness. It shows
that something is lacking, That is Metta.

What is the Buddhist
idea of Metta? The Pali word "Metta" means
"loving kindness", not the ordinary, sensual,
emotional, sentimental kind of love. Metta has been
translated by modem translators into English as generous,
mindness loving, loving kindness, sending out thoughts of
love towards others" but according to the words of
Buddha, Metta has a far wider significance, and a much more
extensive implication than this. It means a great deal more
than loving kindness harmlessness, sympathy.

What is love? Love is
also defined in the Oxford Dictionary. According to it, love
means warm affection, attachment, affectionate devotion, etc.
These are synonymous terms for love and they all refer to
sentimental worldly love. So, Metta has no full English
equivalent. For this Metta is much more than ordinary
affection or warm feelings. The Pali word Metta literally
means "friendliness", but also means love without a
desire to possess but with desire to help, to sacrifice
self-interest for the welfare and well being of humanity.
Metta is with out any selection or exclusion. If you select a
few good friends and exclude a bad person, then you have not
got a perfect grasp of Metta. Indeed Metta is not only
benevolent thought, but also performing charitable deeds, an
active ministry for the good of one and all.

In the "Metta
Sutta" the Buddha has chosen the love of a mother for
her child as an example. Imagine a mother's love when her
child is hungry; she watches carefully to feed her child even
be fore it asks her for food. When the child is in danger,
she will risk her own life. So the Buddha taught us to love
all beings as a mother loves her only child. If we can do
this even to a small extent, the world will become happier
and more peaceful place. In the Dighanikaya, it is said by
the Buddha that almost every virtue such as unselfishness,
loving sympathy and loving kindness is included in this
"Metta".

Though we talked much
about Metta and repeat the formula "Sabbe satta avera
hontu, abyapajjha hontu etc;. "( May all sentient beings
be free from danger; may they be free from oppression etc.),
without Metta how can it be effective? This passage is not to
be merely recited. The Buddha does not ask us to learn any of
his teachings for recitation only. So the recitation of the
"Metta Sutta" is good, but the Buddha did not mean
it to be merely recited. He exhorted us to follow and
practise the instructions in it so that we might realize
Metta as the best state of heart in the world.

Therefore do not be
satisfied with the mere recitation of the "Metta
Sutta" but strive to know its meaning with a view to
practising it and to make it suffuse your being. That is the
most essential fact. Meditation does not mean merely to think
about it, but to practise it in your daily life.

Discourse
of loving kindness

This discourse of
loving kindness serves as a mark of protection and as a
subject of meditation. In the first part of the discourse are
found virtues that should be practised by anyone who desires
his own welfare, and in the latter part the method of
practising Metta or good will is explained in de tail. The
Buddha taught us to follow and practise the following
principles:

He who is
skilled in doing welfare, who wishes to attain the state
of calm, (Perfect tranquility) must work to be efficient,
upright, perfectly upright, easy to speak to, gentle and
humble.

Contended,
easily supportable, having few duties, simple in
livelihood, controlled in sense prudent, modest and not
greedily attached to families, he must not commit even
the slightest sin for which other wise men might censure
him.

He must
contemplate so: May all beings be happy, may all beings
be secure, may all beings be happy. He must radiate the
measureless thoughts of loving kindness to whatever
living beings there may be; feeble or strong, tall,
medium or short, small, medium or large, thin, medium or
stout, seen or unseen, those dwelling far or near, those
who are born and those who are to be born- may all
beings, without exception, be happy.

Let none be
angry with another, let him not despise anyone in any
place. By means of physical and verbal provocation or by
frustrated enmity, in anger or ill-will let him not wish
another's suffering.

Just as a
mother would protect at the risk of her own life the life
of her only son, even so let him spread boundless loving
kindness to every corner of the world; above, below and
across, unhindered without any obstruction, without any
hatred, without any enmity.

While
standing, walking, sitting or lying down, as long as he
awake, without sloth (laziness) he should devote himself
to this mindfulness of love. This, they say, is the
"Highest Conduct" and this is called the
"Noble living" (Holy life).

If the
meditator, not falling into wrong-view (egoism), be
virtuous and endowed with perfect insight, and expel his
passion for sensual pleasure, then, of a truth, he will
never be conceived in any womb again.

In the Dhammapada the
Buddha said, "A beautiful word or thought which is not
accompanied by corresponding acts is like a bright flower
which bears no fruit. It would not produce any effect."
So, it is action, not speculation, it is practice, not theory
that matters. According to the Dhammapada, "will"
if it is not followed by corresponding action does not count.
Therefore, practice of the "Noble Principles of the
Metta Sutta" is the essence of Buddhism.

In this connexion this
"Metta" or Universal Love (Loving kindness) is
generally taken to exist in connexion with other people, but
in reality love for self comes first. It is not a selfish
love, but love for self, pure love that comes first. By
having pure love or "Metta" as we defined it for
self; selfish tendencies, hatred, anger, will be diminished.
Therefore, unless we ourselves possess "Metta"
within, we can not share, radiate, send "Metta" to
others. So meditation on love "Metta" is to be
started within ourselves. According to Buddhism self-love
comes first. By helping ourselves, we can help others
effectively. The Buddha pointed out, "If a person cannot
help himself well, he cannot help others well".

In the Dhammapada it
says, "One should first establish oneself in what is
proper then only he should advise another; such a wise-man
will not be reproached!". If one cannot find happiness
in himself, he cannot find happiness anywhere else. It is
also said that people who cannot control themselves cannot
find happiness.

According to the
Buddhist method, training oneself comes first. Individual
perfection must be first, so that the organic whole may be
perfect. The state of the outer world is a reflection of our
innerselves. The world is like a great mirror, and if you
look at the mirror with a smiling face, you will see your own
beautiful smiling face. If you look at it with a shrinking
face, you will see your own ugly face. It means that
"Every action must have equal and opposite
reaction."

So if you treat the
world properly, kindly, the world will treat you kindly. We
should not expect other persons to treat us kindly first, we
should start by ourselves treating them kindly,

This is the essence of
Buddhist "Metta" Loving Kindness.

"May
all beings be happy, may all beings be secure, may all beings
be happy minded and may their hearts be wholesome."